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Jeremy Falcon wrote: managerial
You wrote so much just to tell me you are our boss now.
That's a good fist step in your new role. 
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Well boss indicates dictator, I'd rather be more of the non-dictating type. But thanks man.
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: project manager
Remember when you used to think of them as idiots and used to rant while having beer with mates? You are out of that group now. Good luck finding new beer mates.
"You'd have to be a floating database guru clad in a white toga and ghandi level of sereneness to fix this goddamn clusterfuck.", BruceN[ ^]
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Nah, never really had that problem... that I'll admit. 
Jeremy Falcon
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Not so much advice but just to recant my own experiences. I too was once a Development Manager. I didn't directly apply for the role, it was gradually assigned to me as I was the most senior developer in my team at the time (this was around 5 years ago).
So I gradually evolved from a Senior Software Developer into a Software Manager. And I didn't like it one bit. My passion is developing software. It's what gets me excited and puts a bounce in my step in the mornings.
Slowly over time the mind crushing tedium of the role got to me. I spent less and less time doing what I loved and more and more time spent in meetings, putting together the annual budget plans, drafting the development strategy and roadmap, representing and defending the team to people who's sole objective was to blame my team for why their own team had failed.
I learnt a lot about the management side of software, but that's about it. I didn't particularly enjoy my tenure as a manager, and I left after a couple of years to get back into developing software.
Life is short. Spend it doing something you love.
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult." - C.A.R. Hoare
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I know for me my idea of what's fun has changed in the recent years, and I don't code as much at home as I used to. So as I change, I suppose the career should change with me ya know. Thanks for this, and I agree do what you love.
Jeremy Falcon
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A few years back I wrote The Zigzag Career[^] in respoonse to Udi's article[^]. In rereading both I think the bottom-line advise still holds true: make this type of decision with your eyes open and treat it like a real career change.
Personally, I've been back and forth between manager and IC roles but have always gravitated back to the technical side. That's just me though. I didn't even find the "architecture" role that appealing. I like to build things.
Try it. You may (or may not) like it. Either way you'll end up better off (IMO).
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Thanks man. I'll take a poke around it. I do have a book to finish one of my old managers recommended to me first though.
Jeremy Falcon
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Whatever Marc said is very true.. Never try to hog the limelight and never dictate !
And if I may add:
Never try to micro-manage - give them space to maneuver.
don't give solution immediately (specially to technical problem) even if you have one unless extremely critical time-crunch. Give pointer and let them fail and learn, That gives them great pleasure and satisfaction when they solve the problem 
Thanks,
Milind
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Oh yeah man, I totally know you're speaking the truth. Years of coding myself has taught me one thing... micromanagement sucks.
Jeremy Falcon
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Get and read the book "Managing Humans"[^] - it is a good read and has lots of tips on being a people manager.
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Thanks for the link. I do have a book recommended by one of my old managers I'll finish first, but I shall bookmark this one.
Jeremy Falcon
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Congratulations !
Advice ? The only thing I can say is that if you are going to become the manager of your current peers, that is always going to have some sticky aspects, always likely to precipitate some psychodramas.
cheers, Bill
«There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you don’t want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.» Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008
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You have been around the block my friend. And fortunately, we're hiring new people for this.
And thanks for the congrats.
Jeremy Falcon
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Besides what Marc already wrote, read the article in my sig. It's really spot on.
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Enjoyed that article from your sig. Thanks!
"Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse
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I'll give it a go. Thanks man.
Jeremy Falcon
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you still can do development but purely just help speed up production 
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Marc said to run a few times, and I have to agree with him there. I would never take a management position, and have turned down many offers over the years.
You seem to be excited about it, so listen to everyone's advice and make your own decision, obviously. I hope all goes well for you. 
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Thanks man. And I am. It's something different. I got jaded with coding for a while. Every now and again I get inspired to crank up the keyboard, but this I can help make sure other programmers don't have to deal with some of the same management crap I did. Or that's the dream at least. I'm sure I'll still code on the side for fun every now and again.
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeremy Falcon wrote: project manager
Project Manager or Development manager? Many responses, including your own, would indicate that you will be managing people, but that is not what a Project Manager does. At least I've never known a single Project Manager that manages people, they manage projects.
Project Manager would be a huge demotion, in my opinion.
There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
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Oh it's a bit of a hybrid role for the interim. I'd still play dev lead and all that for the time being, but also being the front man for dealing with projects and getting them done. Rather than having someone else do it.
It's not a demotion, it's just handling the business side myself. Of course I won't spend as much time coding or making every decision tech-wise, that's the whole idea. But I have to able to talk tech well enough to bridge the gap.
Basically, I'm a liaison. And needed since not every business person talks or really understands tech. It's more hands off than coding every day, but that's the idea so the tech people can do what they love while I make sure the business side knows what's going on and vice versa.
Jeremy Falcon
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